Wane 15 News Spotlight
- tblauv80
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
courtesy of wane.com Nov. 27, 2023
MONROEVILLE, Ind. (WANE) — Last year, the idea for a new type of fishing rod holder came to Monroeville resident Thomas Blauvelt in his sleep.
“I’m always thinking of things [and] better ways to fish or hunt,” Blauvelt said.
Now, with the help of his family and the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), Blauvelt turned his idea into a new invention and a company: ARMS Fishing Rod Management.
ARMS — an acronym for Alternative Rod Management System — is a stainless steel rod holder that does not need to be bolted onto the boat by drilling holes into the hull.
Instead, the device allows anglers to mount the rod holder underneath compartment lids on a boat without using screws or bolts.
“What sets us apart from anything else on the market is its ease of use,” Blauvelt said.
Blauvelt said his rod holder is versatile since it can be moved around to fit the layout of a boat.
He also said ARMS offers anglers an easier method of trolling, a fishing tactic where the lure is cast out behind the boat while the boat is being driven, which allows anglers to cover a lot of ground.
“I designed it basically for bass boats, but it can be used in other boats as well that have lockdown lids,” Blauvelt said.
The laser work is done at APT Manufacturing Solutions in Hicksville, Ohio before the rest of the work is done by Blauvelt, who worked as a toolmaker before his recent retirement.
Although Blauvelt had the idea and design conceived early on, he said he had to learn a lot of things about starting a business that he was initially unaware of.
As a result, Blauvelt contacted the ISBDC, which helps Hoosier small businesses and those looking to start businesses by offering training and tools to succeed.
“They, in fact, have been a great help to me,” Blauvelt said. “They have guided me along the way for the last two months, and it has made this possible I guess.”
Along with the ISBDC, Blauvelt’s two children, Tiffany and Joshua, have also helped with the business from monitoring the company’s website to designing a display for outdoors shows Blauvelt will be attending to represent ARMS Fishing Rod Management.
“They have helped me so much with this,” Blauvelt said.
Blauvelt has been selling ARMS for around a month now, and he said he has received mostly positive feedback from people who have purchased the product.
“One person even said ‘genius,’ which I wouldn’t go that far, but we’ve gotten pretty good feedback,” Blauvelt said.
Blauvelt said seeing people buy and believe in his product has been “awesome.”
“It makes me proud that I came up with something like this,” Blauvelt said. “My dad would have been proud because he was a toolmaker at [General Electric] for 43 years, and I wish he was here to see it because he would have liked it.”
The company has sold nearly two dozen rod holders, and Blauvelt hopes to see the company continue to grow.
“If my family can benefit from it down the road, [then that] is the big key for me,” Blauvelt said.
Along with being sold online, ARMS can also be found at Ye Olde Tackle Box in North Webster, Indiana, along with bait shops in Indianapolis, McCordsville, Indiana; Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; and Eugene, Missouri.
Blauvelt also plans to soon release another version of ARMS that caters to larger rods designed for catfish and muskellunge.
ARMS is still patent pending, according to the company’s website.
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